Inserter systems, such as those applicable for use with the present invention, are typically used by organizations such as banks, insurance companies and utility companies for producing a large volume of specific mailings where the contents of each mail item are directed to a particular addressee. Also, other organizations, such as direct mailers, use inserts for producing a large volume of generic mailings where the contents of each mail item are substantially identical for each addressee. Examples of such inserter systems are the 8 series, 9 series, and APS™ inserter systems available from Pitney Bowes Inc. of Stamford, Conn.
In many respects, the typical inserter system resembles a manufacturing assembly line. Sheets and other raw materials (other sheets, enclosures, and envelopes) enter the inserter system as inputs. Then, a plurality of different modules or workstations in the inserter system work cooperatively to process the sheets until a finished mail piece is produced. The exact configuration of each inserter system depends upon the needs of each particular customer or installation.
Typically, inserter systems prepare mail pieces by gathering collations of documents on a conveyor. The collations are then transported on the conveyor to an insertion station where they are automatically stuffed into envelopes. After being stuffed with the collations, the envelopes are removed from the insertion station for further processing. Such further processing may include automated closing and sealing the envelope flap, weighing the envelope, applying postage to the envelope, and finally sorting and stacking the envelopes.
Servicing a high speed paper handling device, such as an inserter machine, is often difficult because it is difficult to see what causes jams, or other paper handling issues. This is particularly true as the speeds of the paper transports exceed 100 inches per second, as is often the case in inserter machines. The current “state of the art” is to use special high speed camera hardware to record the motion of paper and then play it back at low speed. This hardware is very expensive, bulky and cannot be shipped to customer sites easily. Further, setting up cameras and special lighting for these systems is not a simple skill. This is further compounded by the fact that paper paths are becoming more enclosed and hence using a camera may not be an option in some cases.
Another analysis technique is to attach a logic analyzer to points in the inserter module to try to detect electronic signals that might give clues to what is happening while the problems are happening. However, this analysis is very technically demanding and many service technicians may not be have the engineering capability analyze graphs output by the logic analyzer. Such analysis is more typically performed by a design engineer.
Accurately and efficient resolution of paper handling problems in the field is key to customer satisfaction and retention in the production mail business. The need to consult offsite engineering personnel can negatively impact the time needed to resolve a problem, and unproductive machine time can lead to financial losses for the user of the inserter machine.